The process of removing an oil filter from a motor vehicle engine is well-known, and has likely existed for almost as long as there have been internal combustion engines. Due to the presence of oil in the filter at the time of removal and residual oil in the engine, however, the removal process can be a messy one, with oil dripping out onto the hands or clothes of the person removing the filter, onto the rest of the engine, and/or onto the ground. Over time, a number of approaches have been introduced to try to address this problem, including the use of oil drip pans, which typically sit under the engine to collect used oil that drips out during the removal process, and various other rigid containers which may be used to collect oil, or flexible plastic bags which may be placed under the oil filter during removal to collect used engine oil, but which may not be suitable for use with conventional tools for removing oil filters, or for use around hot engine parts.
None of these approaches provides a containment apparatus with all of the improvements set forth in this disclosure. There exists a need for an oil containment apparatus that is flexible enough to be utilized in and among the numerous hoses, tubes and wires of an engine, while still maintaining heat resistance so that the container does not degrade when used in the presence of hot engine parts. There further exists a need for a chemical resistant containment device which provides access for a conventional oil filter removal tool while still providing containment for oil spillage from the engine that may occur during removal, particularly for horizontal or upwardly angled oil filters, for which it is difficult to provide a collection device immediately below the filter without obstructing access for the tool(s) conventionally used for removing such filters. There further exists a need for a containment device which can be used to dispose of both the oil filter and spilled engine oil once the removal process is complete.